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Will the state of Florida ever allow drilling offshore?

I realize that as the demand of oil and gas rises that oil companies will venture into new exploratory drills in deep water. If they could make money drilling in 60 foot water they would, but as oil sources deplete and become scarce deep water drilling will become for prevalent in the Gulf of Mexico. Will a Deep Water Horizon accident happen again? Are we heading toward a future where oil rigs will be visible from Pensacola Beach or Panama City? Right now they are not, but if you look at the Mississippi and Louisiana coast they are everywhere. Granted there beaches don't bring in the tourism like our beaches, but where will the drilling stop. What is keeping the oil companies from drilling off our coast in the future? I have a feeling in the future when the demand for oil is at it's peak drilling will ensue off the Florida gulf coast. I'm not saying the gulf coast is special compared to other areas, and I know we have nothing like the L.A. river to pollute our waters, but when black oil washes ashore on Pensacola Beach, FL, I have to ask myself, is this water safe? I know I'm just ranting, but I'm scared of the future my kids will inherit, and I think that is the concern of most people today. All we can do is express concern and hope, or that's how I see it. "One Love"

So far due to public outcry and an organized marine industry and a tourism industry with very heavy clout, we have staved off the oil rigs off our coastlines. You can feel the pressure, like hounds nipping at your heels, to drill baby drill! Think of all the jobs, the security of domestic oil production, the increased saftey regulations now in effect, blah, blah, blah. I don't have the time to go into lengthy rebuttals for each of these transparently weak reasons to despoil our coastlines, but the rebuttals are based on sound scientific and economic evidence. It will cost more in lost tourism related jobs due to fouled beaches and estuaries, and not yield the stated desired results of dropping the price of oil or significantly increasing supply, bottom line.

That being said, vote for Charlie Christ and encourage others to do so. Vote the evil Gov. Rick Scott and his gang of criminals out of office before they open up the whole Florida coast to drilling. Vote early and vote often. Go to meetings and write letters and make phone calls and encourage others to do so.

You are correct, it does occur naturally, and is disposed of naturally by bacteria that break it down into carbon dioxide. Also natural oil seepage is spread out is small spurts which allows the oil to be thinner than if you drill a well and have thick crude oil float up, something that the bacteria can't break up. Oil seepage maybe be a natural occurrence in the Gulf, but mother nature knows how to deal with it. Big difference in oil drilling. Keyword here, "seepage".